The original Nile bridge crossing at Juba was built in 1974 by the Dutch construction company De Groot International under a United Nations programme.

More than 600 tons of steel, parts of a floating crane, a drilling rig and a bulldozer and a complete field kitchen and medical unit were transported to the site.

One reason this tight schedule was a success was the setting up of a sober "campsite" where the 18 Dutch construction workers lived, working closely with locals to get the job done.

As of result of South Sudan's becoming an independent nation in 2011, newly elected president Salva Kiir made the repair of the Juba Nile Bridges one of his government's priorities during the administration's first 100 days.

[4] A local construction firm started the repair works in December 2010, fully reopening the bridge in mid-January 2012, ahead of the scheduled February completion date.